Keeping Resources Local
Our Local Resource Redistribution program is working to establish a network of Seattle organizations that can work together to reduce landfill reliance in our city. We are currently outreaching to different small businesses, nonprofits, or other aligned community groups to discuss how we can potentially help redirect some of their waste or other available resources to others who could use it.
Yes, we want to reduce waste! But the lasting power of this program is in the simple act of helping out a neighbor.
Wanna get involved?
Taking Back Our Trash
Modern recycling programs can often feel out of reach for everyday folks. When the real impact gets lost in a fog of greenwashing, data points, and technical jargon, it's easy to lose focus.
There isn't one simple fix. But cutting down what we have to throw away in the first place is a good start. Why not pass it along to someone else instead?
Asking for what we need and offering to share what we have in return, makes our community stronger. But it's hard to find time to create those connections and do that labor when you're already doing all the other work it takes to be human. That's where we'd like to come in.
What does this look like?
Our resource redistribution team will work on forming relationships with groups across Seattle to help exchange, ruse, or thoughtfully dispose of their discarded items. Eventually, we hope to expand this beyond our city and even develop our own recycling centers for the things we can't redistribute.
Sending gardening items to community gardens
Donating to local tool sharing programs
Books for Little Free Libraries
Art supplies to nonprofits who need them
Clothes to free closets
Fabric or textiles to local artists or upcyclers
Why Resource Sharing?
Where We're Starting
Our first order of business will be helping our partner, Magpie Thrift, reduce their own environmental footprint. Then, we'll take what we learn from there and help apply it to other spaces across the city.
What We Do
Offering "As-Is" sections for normally unsellable items, like damaged designer goods, broken vintage toys, and even bags of scrap fabric
Passing clean, wearable, unsold donations onto various nonprofit or mutual aid groups
Donating nonperishable food, medical supplies, and toiletries to the Seattle Community Fridge (as well as hosting a public collection box!)
Donating extra or unsold children's books to Mary's Place Seattle
Exchanging used books between Magpie's media department and Twice Sold Tales
Reusing supplies, buying secondhand, and supporting local vendors wherever we can
Reducing Waste at Our Partner Store
What's Next
Further divest from corporate suppliers for office and admin needs
Introduce more direct recycling options for in-store waste
Eventually opening these options up to our community, too
Continue partnering with local orgs to distribute more impactful donations
Work with Everly's Senior Support Program to reduce personal waste for in-need community members
Community Recycling Stations
Once we build out our network, we hope to create accessible, public recycling stations to collect items from the community that they need help recycling, like electronics, contaminated plastics, and other difficult to dispose of items.
What We're Working Towards
More Education and Reporting
We are working, with the help of our Intern and volunteers, to share information and to educate about the current state of recycling in Washington State. Whether this is researching companies that follow through, or not, with promises of recycling materials, or introducing and highlighting companies that currently are making a difference.
Our team will continue to post blogs on companies or issues they we have investigated. We'd love to have the community to send in ideas or questions they would like answered, too!
Get in touch
Do you or your organization have something you'd like to share? Get in touch, and let's see how we can connect
